Envelop feeding mechanism.



G. L.'DAVIS. BNVBLOP FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1910.

1 ,088,1 3-1 Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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0. L. DAVIS. ENVELOP FEEDING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILgD AUG. 1, 1910.l ,088, 1 31 Patented Feb. 24, 1914.

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0. L. DAVIS. ENVELOP FEEDING MECHANISM. AEPLIOATI ON'PILED AUG. 1, 1910.1,088,1 3 1'. v Patented Feb. 24; 1914.

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cminnrs LEONARD DAVIS, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR To annnnssosnarnCOIVIIEANY, or CHICAGO, ILLIivoIs, A eonronarro'lv or ILLINOIS.

ENvELoP-rEnnINo MECHANISM. 1

To all whom 1'2. may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. DavIs,-acitizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Envelop-Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specifica'tion. This-machine relates to improvements in envelop feeding mechanismsand more par. ticularly to that type in which the envelop is fed bymeans engaging the flap thereof commercially known as flap feednieehanisn'is.

.The object of theinvention is to provide a compact machine of simpleand inexpensive construction for feeding envelops at a high rate ofspeed to a printing or other ma- .chine and for delivering the envelopsafter printing in a convenient position for re moval.

. A further object of the invention is to move the envelop forwardduring the feeding operation and rearward during the delivery operationby one and the same general means so that during a complete cycle ofoperation of saidmeans the envelop is fed forward to printing position,printed, and delivered in position for removal.

The invention also has other objects in Y view which will be pointed outfully hereindelivery movement started.

a. similar view showing the delivery means after in thexdetaileddescription of one embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanyingdrawingsi in which Figure 1 is a sideyelevation of'a mechanism embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing how the feedingfingers engage the flap of the envelop. Fig. 3 is atop plan view. Fig.4: is a see- -tional view showing the parts in printing position. Fig.is an enlarged detail sectional view shmving the envelop fed forward tothe limit of movement of the feeding devices. Fig. 6 is a similar viewshowing the delivery lingers engaging the envelop and the Fig 7 is alsoat the end of the delivery movement and the envelop being discharged.

My invention can be embodied with pr1nt ing or addressing machines ofdifferent varieties and in the draw ngs I have shown it applied to somuch of a platen printing addressing machine as is necessary tounderstand the construction and operation. It

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24,1914.

Application filed August 1, 1910. Serial No. 575904. i j i will beunderstood, however, that .I reserve the right to embody..it inother-machines with such changesiand modifications as'niav .be necessaryfor-the purpose. v

A platen 8 iscarried by a platen arm 9 'pivotally mounted at 10 in a.main frame 11 and this platen is operated by a foot lever] '2 pivoted tothe main frame atv 13 and connected to the (Fig. 1). 1

The envelops 15,.aresupported in an'inclined chute 16; of suitablecharacter, pre erably providedmat its forward endwith inturned flanges17 which overlap the ends of the first'envelop in the chute and hold theenvelops in place and with a follow er 18 to hold the envelops incompact form and press them against the flanges 17. These flangesproject slightly beyond the bottom of the chute to leave a dischargeslot 19 through which the envelops 'are fed. i The envelops are arrangedin thexchute with the fiaps'forward. and projecting upward, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, so. that the feeding devices may be engaged beneath theflap of the first envelop in the chute at each operation of the machinethe edge of the envelop from which the flap projects being hereinafterreferred to as'the flap edge. These feeding devices comprise apairof-fingers 20 which are carried by a cross bar 21 adjustably. supportedin arms 22 mounted on a rod 23 which is pivotally su ported in the sideplates 24: fastened tot 1e frame of the machine. A lever arm 25 rigidwith the pivoted rod 23 is connected with a bar 26 which is adapted tobe actuated by an arm 27' mounted on the platen arm. The bar 26 has aslot 26 therein and a pin 28 on the arm 27 travels in said slot. Aspring 29 is connected to the end 29 of. the bar 26 and to the pin 28.The lever arm 25 may be conveniently made integral with one of the arms22 in the form of an angle lever, as shown in Fig. 2, if desired, sothat on the 22 will be swung on the pivot 23 to move the feeding fingers20 from initial position (Fig. l) to forward position (Fig. 4) and backagain to initial position.

The feeding fingers are adapted to engage the flap edge of the firstenvelop in the chute beneath the flap and move the envelopfore ward onthe face plate 30 mounted on the bed 31 of the machine to printingposition movement of theiplaten aru'rthe arms 25 and the envelop so asnot to interfere with the beneath the platen, .the mechanism being timedto position the envelop in printing position before the platen engagestherewith. The bed and the face plate are provided with openings'in afamiliar manner to permit the platen to force the envelop intoengagement with a printing form 32' shown in a gen-.

eral way in Fig. 4. While the printing op-- eration is taking place theenvelop should remain at rest and it is for this reason that I providethe .pin and slot and'spring con-' arm to carry the platen to the limitof its movement and force the envelop into contact with the printingform.

A pair of delivery fingers 32 is mounted on the cross bar 21 and thesefingers have down-turned ends 32'. The delivery fingers 32 are locatedslightly in advance of the feeding fingers 20 and they are longer'thanthe feeding fingers so that-in the feeding movement of the mechanism thedelivery fingers will not in any way interfere with the envelop or thefeedingfingers' but will slideforward over the face plate, thedownturned ends 32 contacting'therewith, in position to engage the flapedge ofthe envelop after it is printed and discharge it in a suit ablemanner. The delivery fingers are made longer thanthe feeding fingers sothat the latter maytsuificiently clear the envelop to enable thedelivery thereof by the delivery fingers and for this purpose itisdesirable that the feeding fingers should be disengaged from the flap ofthe envelop and also be'suificiently clear of operative engagement withdelivery movement.

Spring holding fingers 33 are fastened on blocks 33 mounted on 't'wocross rods 34. These rods are mounted in clips 35 adapted to engage thebed 31. The clips are made adjustable longitudinally of the bed toaccommodate envelops of different widths and they can bemade and securedin place in many difierent ways. One way is to fasten them together bythe rods 34 which pass through the clips andare provided on their outerends with thumb screws 36, The clips pr: ferably have projections 37 toenter grooves 38 in the bed.- By tightening screws 36 the clips arerigidly secured on the bed and the blocks 33' are held in position toform stops against'which the envelops are fed. The spring fingers 33 areupturned, at their outer ends to permit the envelop to be fed thereunderand they bear upon the flap and are adaptedto hold the envelop againstreturn movement until engaged by the delivery fingers 32. Thus thespring holding fingers 33 hold the envelop in or about printing positionon the initial return movement of the feeding fingers so that the lattermay disengage from the envelop. Then the hooked ends 32of the deliveryfingers engage the envelop and pull it away from the holding fingers anddeliver it ofi'the face plate into a receptacle 36 located beneath thechute 16. A guide 37 is fastened on the bottom of the chute to insurethe delivery of ends against the first envelop in the chute and aftereeding' this envelop from vthe chute they press it against the faceplate which acts as a guide in the feeding and delivering movements ofthe envelop as well as a support for the envelop during the printingoperation. The delivery fingers 32' bear against the lower'forward edgeof the chute in position at rest against the face plate during themovement thereof.

The mechanism ma velops'of various wi ths by changing the connection ofthe lever arm 25 with the bar be adapted for en-- 26 and adjusting theholding fingers 33 accordingly. Thus my invention is capable of beingreadily and quickly adjusted for feeding envelo s of different widthswithout necessitating tie replacement of any of its parts.

This invention is capable of various modifications without departin fromthe essential features thereof and 1t will be understood that in thedrawings I have shown a simple embodiment of the invention which can bevaried as desired or re uired for application to machines of di erentkinds.

Power can be easily applied for operating the platen instead of the footlever shown and the receptacle 36 m. be rovided for receiving theenvelops a tcr t ey are dischargedby the delivery fingers.

The operation of the invention has been very fully described and will bereadily understood. The envelops are first carried forward and.positioned in printing position by the feeding devices and held by theholding fingers against return movement while the feeding devices arebeing disengaged therefrom and until the envelop is engaged by thedelivery devices which thereupon move the envelop out of printingposition and deliver it in a suitable manner. This .operation can beconducted with rapidity

